19th and 20th Century Official City Documents Now Available through Library Database

The City of Somerville and the Somerville Public Library (SPL) are proud to announce the digitization of historical records from the files of the city’s past. Thanks to a partnership with the Boston Public Library and Digital Commonwealth, a State repository service for historical documents, the official full-text Annual Reports of the city from 1843 to 1925 can be accessed free through the Internet Archive. This archive is a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.

The SPL also rolled out remote access to the historical Boston Globe (1872-1981) and New York Times newspapers, which are available through ProQuest. Through these valuable resources, the SPL now offers digital historical research material from two highly-regarded newspapers. World changing events, such as the New York Time’s coverage of World War II, and the counter-cultural and social revolution of the 1960s, as well as more sensational drama such as the Boston Globe’s coverage of the Lizzie Borden trial, are now available at the click of a mouse through the Somerville Public Library, by visiting www.somervillepubliclibrary.org.

“This kind of access to our cultural artifacts, historical images, and news articles will help the people of Somerville discover more about their own past.” said Maria Carpenter, Director of the SPL. “It is really exciting that we can offer these kinds of primary resources for researchers, teachers, students, and Somerville residents. Residents have been asking for more electronic materials and we are pleased to be able to offer this rich content.”